The Last Half Hour

A long long day of ups and downs,
Of tension laced with smiles and frowns
Including, too, a birthday bash
(Six years flown by, like in a flash).

The children climbed and raced around;
Exhilaration did abound.
In conversations I engaged
As stress and agita assuaged.

The hours ticked by, the pizza served;
The candles blown, good-byes observed.
We helped bring home the food and cake
But just before we made our break

A small request to stay outside
At dusk just couldn’t be denied –
A game of tag with varied rules;
We circled ‘round like crazy fools.

The last half hour made the day
For such delight infused the play
Of nana and the birthday boy,
Connecting with unfettered joy.

Debatable

In one straight line across the stage,
Of varied temperament and age,
The Democratic hopefuls spoke
To rouse supporters or provoke.

They disagreed in certain ways
And rarely gave each other praise 
But tried to prove, to all who heard,
That they could get the country stirred.

By turns dynamic and laid-back 
Each other's views they did attack 
While all who watched were left to wonder
Who would rise and who would blunder.

Still, one or two will hit the stump
With just one goal - defeating Trump.

Walking to School

I watch the children walk to school
With parents at their sides,
Engaged in conversation
As they march with matching strides.

But when those offspring say goodbye
And leave their parents’ realm,
They step into a world with
Someone different at the helm.

They’ll be exposed to rules and thoughts
Unlike the ones they know,
Contributing to who they’ll be
As they mature and grow.

That morning walk is bittersweet
For it’s the very start
Of heading towards the future
When their paths will have to part.

This Date

This date is seared upon the brain
And there it always will remain.
No matter what you’d like to bet,
You won’t (and never should) forget.

The ceremonies on TV
No longer feel required to see
And yet, the mind can’t help relive
An act so many can’t forgive.

The bright blue sky today reminds
Us of the fact that sorrow binds
For whether we were there or not,
Our hearts all share an empty spot.

An Afternoon with Friends

The weather gods were smiling
As we five old friends did meet,
Providing us with catch-up hours
To stroll, to schmooze, to eat.

We sat outside for lunch
And had a lovely river view,
Exchanging news and photos
Of the grandkids, one brand-new.

A leisurely meander
Followed all along the shore,
With flowers blooming better
Than they ever have before.

The beauty of the city
And some time with friends combined
To create an afternoon that seemed
Quite magically designed.

Topless

On a public beach, they sat,
An ordinary pair
Of middle age, content, it seemed,
To soak some sunshine there.

Her rolls of flab revealed the fact
That half of her was nude,
Her breasts quite unencumbered,
Though her reasons did elude.

Was tanning her objective
Or perhaps a cooling breeze
Which a bathing suit would hinder
Or did digging straps displease?

Or just maybe she went topless
‘Cause her body made her proud
Or, most likely, just because the law
Says that it is allowed.

Needles and Pins

Watching your fave
In the closest of matches
Feels like having an itch
With no way to make scratches.

You sit there on needles
And pins on your seat
Hoping that his opponent
Will suffer defeat.

The crowd starts to cheer
As the underdog inches
Much closer to winning;
They hope that he clinches.

Yet you cling to hope
With your stomach in knots.
If your fave doesn’t win
You believe you will plotz.*

The minutes tick by
And you can’t comprehend
That the match may not go
How you want it to end.

*to be overcome by strong emotion (Yiddish)

PS - My fave, Rafael Nadal, made my night by
winning the US Open Tennis tournament in 5 sets!